The cybercrime prediction stands, and over the past year it has been corroborated by hundreds of major media outlets, universities and colleges, senior government officials, associations, industry experts, the largest technology and cybersecurity companies, and cybercrime fighters globally.

The damage cost projections are based on historical cybercrime figures including recent year-over-year growth, a dramatic increase in hostile nation state sponsored and organized crime gang hacking activities, and a cyber attack surface which will be an order of magnitude greater in 2021 than it is today.

Cybercrime costs include damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems, and reputational harm.

Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage Projected at 1.8 Million by 2022

The results from the eighth Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) have been released this week. The workforce gap is estimated to be growing, with the projected shortage reaching 1.8 million professionals by 2022. While the gap is not news, the fact that it is growing is of great concern to an already exhausted workforce. The question of how to fill the gap has been answered, and millennials are an integral part of the plan. “For years, we’ve known about the impending shortage of the information security workforce, as evidenced by our study year over year,” said David Shearer, CEO,…

Almost anyone with cybersecurity experience and realistic salary expectations can find immediate employment. There may be a small percentage of the cyber workforce who are in between jobs, some who have resigned to explore new opportunities, and others who are unrealistic about which positions they qualify for (and the compensation commensurate with their experience) — but there’s an abundance of positions available for cybersecurity pros.

Cybercrime damages are predicted to cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015… and the world will spend $1 trillion cumulatively over the next five years from 2017 to 2021 on cybersecurity products and services to combat cybercrime. These figures suggest the cyber employment problem will get worse before it gets better.

We interviewed several industry experts who corroborate the unemployment rate, and share the recruiting challenges that come with it.

The 13 most valuable IT certifications today

Looking for a leg up in your IT career? IT certifications remain a proven way to quickly gain valuable skills and demonstrate deeper interest and know-how in a domain that will further your career.

Certifications and skills can help boost your salary, set you apart from the competition and help you land promotions in your current role. A survey from Global Knowledge found that 83 percent of IT professionals in the U.S. and Canada hold an IT certification — and in the U.S. the average salary for a certified IT professional is on average $8,400 (or 11.7 percent) higher.

Hiring certified professionals is also beneficial for employers. Of those surveyed, 44 percent of IT decision-makers say certifications result in employees performing work faster, 33 percent said it results in more efficiency when implementing systems and 23 percent say it helps deploy products and services faster with fewer errors.

IT Scholarships for Women | Center for Cyber Security and Education

(ISC)² WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIPS NOW OPEN!

Applications will close at 11:59 PM on March 1, 2018

Award notifications will be made the week of April 16th 2018

Scholarships to inspire women to join the ever-growing field of Information Security

The application period for the (ISC)² Women’s and Raytheon’s Women in Cybersecurity Scholarships is now open. Applications will be accepted for Undergraduate Scholarships beginning February 1, 2018, and Graduate Scholarships on March 1, 2018. For details on the Raytheon’s Women in Cyber Security Scholarship click here

You will need to submit an application for the Undergraduate or Graduate Scholarships in order to be considered for one of those awards, applications will NOT be automatically transferred. You will be able to import your Women’s/Raytheon application information and documents directly into the Undergraduate or Graduate application. Just click on the link for the appropriate scholarship and look for the import button on the top right of your dashboard. Learn how to apply

(ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage Continues to Grow Worldwide, to 1.8 Million in Five Years

Attracting and Retaining Millennial Workers Vital to Closing the Gap

Clearwater FL, February 13, 2017 — According to new research from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education™ (the Center) — part of its eighth Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) – sponsored by (ISC)²® and Booz Allen Hamilton, a serious talent shortage looms in the information security workforce. The survey and analysis, which includes feedback from over 19,000 information security professionals worldwide, indicates that employers must look to millennials to fill the projected 1.8 million information security workforce gap that is estimated to exist by 2022. This is an increase of 20 percent from the 1.5 million worker shortfall forecast by the 2015 GISWS.